U.S. Beer Sales Rank #1 on 4th of July
Industry Contributing Billions to Nation's Economy

BI Raising Awareness of Keg Theft this Holiday Weekend

Teaming up to Prevent Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving

WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ? Celebrating our nation's
independence is a time-honored tradition, typically marked by barbeques,
fireworks -- and also, a cold beer.
Top Period for Beer Sales
Last year, July 4th was the biggest beer-selling holiday of the year,
with beer sales at supermarkets across the country topping 23 million cases
during the holiday period, according to The Nielsen Company. Beer sales
during this period also accounted for approximately 5.2 percent of total
annual beer sales in 2007, helping generate billions of dollars in economic
activity for our nation.
Major Economic Contributions
Rising sales of beer are contributing heftily to the U.S. economy -
nearly $190 billion, in fact. According to an economic impact study
commissioned jointly by the Beer Institute and the National Beer
Wholesalers Association (NBWA), the beer industry also contributes more
than 1.7 million jobs paying almost $55 billion in wages annually. The
production of beer helps support other segments of the economy as well. For
example, the study showed more than $4 billion in economic contributions
for the agricultural sector, including malting barley ($537.8 million),
hops ($280.7 million), brewers rice ($222.9 million), and brewers corn
($58.4 million).
Promoting Responsibility
In addition to bolstering the U.S. economy, the beer industry devotes
considerable time and resources into campaigns that promote the responsible
consumption of its products. This summer, the Beer Institute again
announced its support for a federal government social responsibility
campaign called "We Don't Serve Teens" (WDST). The campaign aims to promote
awareness among parents, legal-age siblings and other adults - the primary
sources of alcohol for those under 21 - about the consequences of providing
alcohol to minors. More information can be found at the program's site,
www.DontServeTeens.gov.
Due to the hard work of the beer industry, parents, law enforcement,
educators, federal and state alcohol beverage regulators, and other
community groups, illegal underage drinking and drunk driving have declined
over the past 25 years. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation,
the number of fatalities in drunk-driving crashes during the 4th of July
holiday has declined 31 percent since 1982. In addition, according to the
federal government's most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 83
percent of adolescents, ages 12 to 17, are doing the right thing by not
drinking.
Preventing Keg Theft
As beer consumption rises during the July 4th holiday, so does the
problem of keg theft. It is estimated that the beer industry loses more
than 300,000 kegs each year, primarily due to thieves seeking to sell them
to scrap metal dealers. Keg loss is a major financial burden for brewers
and beer importers, costing the industry more than $50 million each year.
"The Beer Institute has been quite successful in raising awareness
about the rising cost of keg theft to local businesses and consumers. Now,
we're cracking down on the problem and seeing real results," Beer Institute
President Jeff Becker said. "For example, since 2007 nearly 30 states have
passed keg loss or scrap metal legislation to prevent theft." Brewers are
also reminding retailers and bar owners to exercise vigilance this holiday
weekend, and secure any loose kegs on their property.
The complete Beer Serves America Economic Impact study, including
state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns of economic
contributions, is available at the Beer Serves America Web site,
www.beerservesamerica.org.
The Beer Institute, established in 1986, is the national trade
association for the brewing industry, representing both large and small
brewers, as well as importers and industry suppliers. The Institute is
committed to the development of sound public policy and to the values of
civic duty and personal responsibility: www.beerinstitute.org.